Papercut Lakes

Why we love it

Paper cut maps are a beloved, artful way to model elevation and depth. Traditional paper cut maps require crafting with physical materials—literally cutting construction paper and wood. These Paper Cut Lake Maps are digitally constructed to mimic natural materials. What looks like tangible maps is achieved using advanced digital textures and effects. We love that cartographers are rediscovering and celebrating manual techniques and adding a new level of artistry to modern mapping work.

Why it works

When modern maps are imbued with a hand-crafted aesthetic, they feel more approachable. These digital paper cut lake maps evoke a visceral sense of touch. They look like something we could hold, move our hands across, and experience the contours of the lakes directly. These maps work because they blur the lines between digital and tangible, between historic and modern. In a lovely and sentimental way, the paper cut maps pay homage to the past while delighting in current mapping techniques.

Analysis

Merge digital elevation models for each lake in ArcGIS Pro. Blur using Focal Statistics tool for a smooth surface and paper cut curves. Trace with Contour tool from ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension and use an interval that generates a likely number of paper cut layers.

Time

As is the case with many maps motivated by whimsy, the initial creation came from many enjoyable hours of tinkering. To recreate it, however, given the available tutorial, it ought to take about an hour to start cranking out plausible digital paper cut maps on your own.

Tips and tricks

Fake the look

In ArcGIS Pro, use images for strokes and textures to create an amazing variety of looks. The look of pencil or crayon here is digital. You get a remarkable amount of visual versatility using the “tint” feature of picture symbols.